The autobiographical first persona, Miguna’s autobiographies and the interpretation of Kenya’s recent History

Peeling Back the Mask and Kidneys for the King are autobiographies. They are autodiegetic – the narrator is also the hero of the autobiographies. Miguna Miguna has applied the autobiographical first persona as a narratological strategy. The autobiographical first persona has an import on historiography. Autodiegesis has strengths and weaknesses. This impacts the portrayal of the historical process. This impact is elucidated using Miguna Miguna’s Peeling Back the Mask and Kidneys for the King. On the one hand, the autobiographical first persona provides unique, personalised and believable insights into events that other points of views may not achieve; on the other hand, given that the autobiography is an exercise in reconstruction, there is always the danger of the narrator being biased. This is in an attempt to reconstruct his person positively. This article focuses on how Miguna’s autodiegesis buttresses and erodes a credible portrayal of Kenya’s recent history.